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How to See Live TV Shows
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No trip to Los Angeles is complete without a bit of Hollywood show business on your itinerary. Luckily, there are multiple opportunities to see a taping of your favourite television shows live to get a sneak peek of the TV magic you see at home. Plus, good news: tickets to the majority of shows are free.
Watch the casts of The Big Bang Theory, Mom, or Fuller House crack up the audience, be amazed by incredibly smart people on Jeopardy!, or laugh along with witty talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel or car karaoke star James Corden on The Late Late Show. If competition shows are more your style, try scoring tickets to The Voice or Dancing With the Stars, which both film in the Los Angeles area. Participating on a game show (like Wheel of Fortune) is feasible but typically involves a test or video submission in advance, so check the rules before planning your trip.
Being in the audience during a taping gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how these shows are actually produced while providing a look at your favourite stars up close and personal—something that’s on every L.A. visitor’s bucket list. Each show has a specific ticket system that sometimes involves a wait list—or waiting in person—so be sure to plan far in advance and anticipate lines so you don’t miss your opportunity. Check out our guide below for more details on how to see sitcoms, talk shows, and game shows, during your Los Angeles vacation.
Between tapings—most take place in Burbank—fill your TV-loving vacation with studio tours and visits to nearby L.A. neighbourhoods that are pop culture staples in themselves. We’ve got tips on amazing things to do in Hollywood, as well as the celebrity-friendly communities Santa Monica, Venice Beach, West Hollywood, and the inimitable Beverly Hills.
You can eat, sleep, and shop within Hollywood culture too. Check out our list of California hotels that have appeared in movies, many in the L.A. area, as well as our Kids’ Guide to Hollywood, classic movie locations around California, and a fun guide to seeing celebrities.
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Sitcoms
Sitcoms
Get a behind-the-scenes look at your favourite TV shows
Cringe at the socially awkward moments of brilliant geeks on The Big Bang Theory. Or watch the antics of the cast of Fuller House as the show is being filmed. Sitting in the audience while these and other sitcoms are staged gives you an incomparable behind-the-scenes take of all that goes into producing a professional comedy show. While familiar shows are a big draw and usually a good bet for a great show, don’t hesitate to take a chance on a pilot or a new show; you might wind up seeing the birth of the next hit sitcom or TV star.
The main resource for getting tickets is Audiences Unlimited; the website lists TV shows in offering tickets within the next 30 days at studios in the Los Angeles area. There are other sites, too, such as On Camera Audiences, 1Iota, Ticket Me Quick, and TVTix.com. If you don’t score tickets when they are first released, additional and standby tickets may be released at a later date. Keep in mind, too, that the age minimum for most sitcom tapings is 18, and that tapings often last well beyond a half hour—often four hours—but it’s fun to watch the studio at work. And pack a sweater: studios are kept a little on the chilly side.
Talk Shows & Competitions
Talk Shows & Competitions
See what celebs are talking about
Dance along with Ellen on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. See what celebs are talking about on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watch political wags and celebrities go toe-to-toe on Real Time With Bill Maher. And, on the grounds of Universal Studios Hollywood and adjacent Universal CityWalk, see Extra’s Mario Lopez chat with celebs like Eva Longoria and Scarlett Johansson.
Talk shows are a great way to see A-list celebs in person—usually dressed in hot fashions and perfectly coiffed—and it sure beats hanging around at a Beverly Hills Starbucks to see one of them slouch in wearing workout clothes for some coffee. Another perk from sitting in the audience: you might get on TV too, since many talk shows include shots of the audience, or even pull one or two folks into the show for a gag or two. Glossy who’s-best shows like The Voice and America's Got Talent also let you see talent—some good, some bad—as well as A-list judges and performers.
Some shows distribute their own tickets via their websites; others use ticket agencies, such as Audiences Unlimited and 1iota. Through Onset Productions, you may even get paid a stipend to be in the audience for shows like Lip-Sync Battle or various Food Network series.
Steve Jurvetson/Flickr
Game Shows
Game Shows
Get in on the game
Match wits with the contestants on Jeopardy! Take a spin of the wheel with Vanna and Pat on Wheel of Fortune. Bring out your pom-poms and pork pie hats for Let’s Make a Deal. These game shows and other classics are mainstays in Los Angeles; most have been running for decades. Want to be a contestant? For some shows, that just means reserving a free ticket online and getting a call-back to attend (then syncing up vacation plans), then crossing fingers that you’ll get picked from the audience. For some shows, it’s a little tougher to make the cut. For Jeopardy!, you’ve got to prove your prowess by passing a 50-question test either online or at a regional in-person screening. Wheel of Fortune asks for a video submission.
If you simply want to sit in the audience for popular game shows like Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, or Family Feud, check out Ticket Me Quick and On-Camera Audiences. Just keep in mind that show tapings are often overbooked, so a ticket is not always a guaranteed seat (show up a little early to keep your odds high). Most game shows require that audience members be at least 18, but both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Welcome audience members as young as 8.
Courtesy of TBS
3 Tips For Seeing Shows
3 Tips For Seeing Shows
Get the inside scoop on attending a live TV show taping
Attending a TV show recording is great fun, but there are a few tips you can follow to make sure it’s memorable-and only in a good way.
1) Be sure to get there early if you want a good seat or any seat at all, as studios overbook the tickets.
2) Expect to stay at least three hours, especially for sitcoms, which can take a long time as scenes get reworked and reshot. Bring a snack and a book for downtime. At longer tapings, audience members might be treated to pizza, but don’t count on it.
3) Bring a sweater; studios are kept notoriously cool to compensate for the hot lights on stage.
If you’re hoping for an on-camera appearance, do your homework ahead of time. What types of things is the show looking for? It might be a silly costume for a game show like Let’s Make a Deal, or it might be well-dressed people for a cameo appearance in a talk show. Also, be enthusiastic: employees sometimes tap the most eager audience members to be part of the show.
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